Bruno and Buchanan bring spark to Hilton boxing event

THERE was high drama inside and outside the ring at the Sparta Amateur Boxing Club's 60th anniversary show in the Capital's Hilton Grosvenor Hotel at Haymarket last night.

Firstly the 300 ringside fans including ex-world heavyweight champion Frank Bruno and Sparta's own lightweight champion great Ken Buchanan were forced to spill out into Grosvenor Street halfway through the pre-fight meal - although it turned out to be a false fire alarm.

Then Buchanan - on special leave from his sick bed in Edinburgh's Astley Ainslie Hospital - had to be escorted from the ringside complaining of feeling unwell.

It was a blow to the ex-champion who had risen from his sick bed in the city hospital specially to meet his old friend and fellow ex-world champion Bruno.

Sparta ring legend Buchanan was transported back to hospital after apologising profusely for his early exit to the capacity ringside crowd via the ringmaster of ceremonies.

Earlier he had posed for pictures and joked with fellow show guest of honour Bruno.

Bruno told the Edinburgh ring great: "You were so good, Ken - really wicked man as a world champion and it's great to meet you in the flesh once again."

A spokesman for the Astley Ainslie hospital confirmed today: "Mr Ken Buchanan is now back with us but his condition is fine as he became over-tired."

Meanwhile, in the ring Bruno was mobbed by ringside fans seeking his autograph as he saw Sparta youth southpaw lightweight Stewart Vass produce some of the kind of punch power that made Bruno at his best exciting to watch in the 1980s. After a rocky first round, Sparta youth southpaw ace Vass stopped tough Stirling opponent Qasim Iqbal in his tracks with a crushing southpaw left cross to the jaw forcing the referee to stop the fight in the second so giving the young McDonald Road prospect an impressive victory.

In the pick of the other bouts, 16-year-old Sparta youth welterweight Teo Timmark cemented his credentials as being the country's most exciting young prospect by widely outpointing experienced Kirkcaldy Kingdom opponent Alan Barlow by a wide 12-3 point margin.

Sparta light heavyweight Gordon Brennan then gained a hard-won 9-4 points victory over Barn club opponent Kevin Reynolds. However Brennan's Sparta welterweight counterpart Thomas Moran was well beaten on points by Barn rival John McCallum, 12-8.